Dat Nguyen Tackles His Way To #59

There are officially 59 days until the toe meets the ball at AT&T Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys will host the New York Giants on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

What a beautiful day to Throw Up The X! Cowboys fans across the globe are celebrating the recent long-term extension of wide receiver Dez Bryant. There is no exception here at Inside The Star as we’re getting all the more excited about the 2015 season. You should also be excited about the Cowboy featured on today’s Countdown to Kickoff, the Greatest 59 in Dallas Cowboys History.

There are many different types of accomplishments that we’ve highlighted in our Countdown to Kickoff series. We’ve had Pro Football Hall of Famers. We’ve had people who broke records. We’ve had people who switched positions. We’ve had players from the offensive line of the early 2000s, which was the first starting offensive line to have all five of its starters be African American. Today we have a Dallas Cowboy who was a pioneer with every step and every tackle that he made in the NFL.

Dat Nguyen Was The First Vietnamese-American Player Ever Drafted In The NFL

During the 1999 NFL Draft, the Cowboys had a player that they were looking at taking in the third round. He was a linebacker from Texas A&M, the leader of the famed “Wrecking Crew” defense, with a smaller build than most linebackers. His trophy collection was pretty full as he had picked up the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Chuck Bednarik Award, and the Lombardi Award all in his senior season. He had Dallas Cowboy written all over him.

Dat Nguyen was chosen by the Cowboys with the 85th overall pick in that draft and made an impact, as all great linebackers do, right away. During his rookie year he led the special teams unit in tackles with 18 and he was promoted to starting middle linebacker in his second year.

While Dat was the first Vietnamese-American Player to ever be drafted, he didn’t stop succeeding there. After he was named the starting middle linebacker Dat flourished as the leader of the Cowboys defense, leading the team in tackles in 2000. He had a grit that could not be tested, as exemplified in a game in 2002 where he broke his wrist…and still finished the game with a team-leading 11 tackles.

Dat’s finest season perhaps came in 2003. He led the team in tackles yet again, a team with the second most effective defense across the NFL, and was selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate. Nguyen was also announced as a Second-Team All-Pro in 2003 and he won the Ed Block Courage Award... which personifies a player'sinspiration, sportsmanship, and courage.

Dat Nguyen is one of the finer men to ever put on a Dallas Cowboy uniform. He approached football and life with a fierce commitment to always excel, which is highlighted in his book “Dat: Tackling Life and the NFL”.

The middle linebacker position is by nature one that demands a lot from people. Dat Nguyen gave everything he had not because he was a middle linebacker but because that’s the person that he is in ever facet of his life. He is without a doubt the Greatest 59 in Dallas Cowboys History.

Check back tomorrow to find out who the Greatest 58 in Dallas Cowboys History is!

Tell us what you think about "Dat Nguyen Tackles His Way To #59" in the comments below. You can also email me at RJ.Ochoa@SlantSports.com, or Tweet to me at @RJOchoa!

I like long walks on the beach, mystery novels, no just kidding those suck. The Dallas Cowboys were put on this earth for us all to love and appreciate. I do that 24/7/365. I also love chicken parmesan. Let's roll.
@RJOchoa if you wanna shout!

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2018 Draft Class Season Review: LB Leighton Vander Esch

As the first round draft pick of America's Team, any player would be under a ton of pressure from all angles. Whether it's from the fans on the outside or the organization on the inside, the expectations around being a first round pick for the Cowboys are immense. But the pressure placed upon linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, from the second he was announced as the 19th overall draft pick, was second to none.

It felt like Cowboys Nation let out a collective groan when Vander Esch was taken, with fans hoping for a more glamorous first round selection. Someone like wide receiver Calvin Ridley or edge rusher Harold Landry would've done the trick, but after Vander Esch's rookie season it's hard to imagine either of those players would have had the impact Vander Esch did in 2018.

Though he didn't start a game until week 4, and didn't become the unquestioned full-time starting WILL until week 10, Vander Esch earned Pro Bowl honors for his rookie season. Tallying 140 total tackles and 2 interceptions, Vander Esch made his presence felt week in and week out.

Prior to the 2018 season, the Cowboys defensive success often came down to the health of Sean Lee. When available and playing at his best, Lee led an overachieving Cowboys defense to solid performances each week. But, when Lee went out (as he often did), the entire Cowboys defense seemed to fall apart.

This year, though, that all changed. When Sean Lee was out with injury the Cowboys defense got better. Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith became a versatile, hard hitting tandem the NFL immediately feared, and helped to direct the Cowboys defense to signature wins throughout the 2018 season.

There are arguments against taking any off-ball linebacker in the first round, as the value of the position has been questioned due to the new style of offense in the NFL. Nowadays linebackers are relegated to two-down players, taken off the field in favor of faster defensive backs on critical passing downs.

Leighton Vander Esch is athletic enough to be both an old school run stopper, but also a three down linebacker in today's fast paced NFL.

Despite the doubts which surrounded the pick, the Cowboys absolutely nailed their first round selection in 2018. And Leighton Vander Esch made Dallas' front office look like geniuses each and every Sunday.

What Is The Cowboys Most Pressing Offseason Need?

Finishing their season with a Division Round loss, Dallas Cowboys fans are getting a somewhat late start on the 2019 offseason. Of course, we'd much rather a later start, but the results are what they are.

Now Dallas must get better, and re-tool before heading into Dak Prescott's fourth season, and the Cowboys' 2019 campaign. Though they didn't feel all that close to a championship this season, looking around the roster, it's actually tough to identify one key need the Cowboys must address.

They are filled with young, talented players that they have high hopes for across the board. And in the places they are "older," such as across the offensive line, they have established veterans who aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

So what is the Cowboys' most pressing offseason need?

Well, despite already using their 2019 first round pick to address it, the answer very well might be wide receiver.

Adding Amari Cooper midseason provided a massive jolt to the Cowboys previously anemic passing attack, but on his own he is not enough to take this passing game to where it needs to be to compete in this new NFL.

Third round pick Michael Gallup is going to be a very good pro, and progressed really well as his rookie season went on. I think he can play opposite Amari Cooper nicely, and be the number two option in the passing game going forward.

Though arguably their best wide out against man coverage, Cole Beasley is a free agent, and if the reports are true about Scott Linehan returning in 2019 it could very well mean Beasley will not be opting to sign back with Dallas.

Regardless of Beasley's decision, however, the Cowboys need to seriously evaluate their pass catchers heading into next season.

This is a passing league. The rules have dictated that you must be able to pass the ball efficiently if you want to compete with the best of the best around the NFL. To take the next step in their progression, and reach an NFC title game and/or Super Bowl, Dak Prescott will need to have as explosive a group of pass catchers as possible.

The Cowboys have already taken solid steps to making this a reality, but another move or two this offseason could go a long way to putting Dallas in the conversation with teams like the Rams and the Saints in 2019.